One Spell Survived
by Triscribe
Summary: ...And an entire world changed. Or, more specifically, James survived Voldemort's attack but was knocked out cold. When he awakes, Sirius is in a panic, Harry's crying, Lily is dead and the countdown begins to Peter's demise...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Aaand here comes the Snitch-!" James grinned as Harry obediently opened his mouth to accept the final spoonful of his mushy dinner. Lily, gathering up the other plates from the table, just rolled her eyes with a small smile. If anyone dared to doubt that her husband was already grooming their one year old son to become a fantastic Quidditch player, all they had to do was sit in on one of the family's meals to be shown the error of their ways. Sirius thought it was great, while Remus shared Lily's exasperation.

"I'm surprised, James," the man looked up at her teasing tone. "That you seem to be making ample use of the Snitch and Quaffle, but not the Bludgers! Surely our toddler needs to learn what _all_ of the balls are, right?"

"Oh, ha ha." He deadpanned. "Go ahead, insult the only one of us who manages to get Harry to eat his vegetables."

"I wouldn't _dream_ of doing such a thing." The pair got into a staring contest that lasted all of ten seconds before they both broke down giggling. Harry looked back and forth between his parents, wide eyed, until the infant lost interest and instead grabbed at the nearby mop of black hair.

"Ouch!" James yelped, carefully disentangling chubby fingers from his messy locks.

"About time he does that to you too." Lily said primly, taking the opportunity to Summon the last of the dirty dishes to the sink. She then walked back over to the pair and scooped Harry up into her arms, setting her wand down on the table in the process.

"Yeah, now I get why you never think it's as funny as the rest of us do," her husband said ruefully, rubbing at his abused scalp. Before they left the room, James cast the automatic cleaning charm on the pile in the sink, and then started to put his own wand next to Lily's.

Harry babbled something in baby-talk, reaching his hands out again and Summoning his father's wand.

"Whoa there!" Quickly, James got the tool away from the boy, tucking it into his pocket while Lily distracted the irritated Harry. "Heh, maybe we ought to send this kid off to Hogwarts already!"

"Not a chance." Lily tossed back, leading him through the living room towards the staircase. "We've got another ten years until that terrible day comes, and I plan to enjoy every minute of-"

Their alarm sounded.

Both the adult Potters froze, listening with horror as the wards reported a powerful intruder entering their yard.

"How?" Lily whispered, tightening her grip on Harry.

"They must have gotten to Peter-" a thunderous blast hit their back door's ward, and then James was shoving blindly at his wife. "Lily, it's _him,_ go, get Harry out of here!" As soon as he was assured that the woman was racing for the stairs, James turned back to where their intruder was forcing his way inside.

It was, without a doubt, Voldemort himself.

"BOMBARDA!" James shouted, hurling enough magical energy at the evil man to demolish a small mountain. Laughing, Voldemort conjured a shield to absorb it.

" _Avada Kedavra!"_ Instinctively, the instant the first syllable of the Killing Curse was uttered, James copied his son's earlier example and Summoned one of their heavy sitting chairs to the space just in front of him. Unfortunately, the strength of the Dark Lord's spell hitting it sent the piece of furniture flying back and into James.

The last thing he remembered before everything faded away was the distant sound of Lily screaming.

-OSS-

"...ame... ames... JAMES!" Hazel eyes snapped open, and James sat up so fast he nearly slammed his head into Sirius.

"What-?" He choked out, dazed and trying to remember what happened.

"You're alive, mate! I thought I'd lost you!" Sirius' grip on his shoulders helped James to ground himself, as the memories trickled in.

"Oh Merlin - Lily! Is she alright?"

"I don't know, James, I just got here and saw you lying on the floor-" Sirius was cut off as his best friend stumbled upright, heading for the stairs. "What happened? Who attacked?"

"Voldemort, he came in the front door- I told Lily to take Harry and go-" The rest of the words lodged in James' throat as he reached the second floor landing, and saw where the nursery door had been blasted off its hinges. "No... Please, Merlin, no!"

The sound of crying reached him.

"Harry!" James pelted headlong into the room, only to skid to a stop when he saw his wife lying motionless on the floor. "LILY!" For a time, no cohesive thought was able to form in the man's mind, only a storm of mingling emotions. He held Lily's body in his arms, sobbing and screaming by turns. Sirius had staggered past him, to pluck Harry from his crib and try and soothe the baby's wails.

Neither was aware how long they were there, couldn't do anything more that sit in their grief. Eventually, though, someone else arrived in the doorway of the nursery.

James looked up, spotted Severus Snape's devastated face, and saw red.

"YOU!"

Unsurprisingly, the man was promptly sent flying.

"James, wait-!" Sirius started to step after his friend, hesitated when he realized he was still holding Harry, then groaned and charged out anyway.

James had knocked Snape away first with a blasting spell, but then followed him out into the hall and proceeded to grapple with the Death Eater. Before Sirius could intervene, the two of them wound up rolling on down the staircase. He immediately followed, reaching the bottom of the steps just in time to see both mean hoisted up off the ground and held midair.

"What 'n Merlin's name is goin' on here?" Hagrid demanded, looking from Snape to James and back again.

"How dare you come here, you bastard-!"

"-asked him, Potter, I swear I tried to get him to spare her-"

"And yet she's still DEAD!" James roared, sending Snape into silence and himself into a slumped state. "Lily's dead..."

Harry whimpered.

Three heads whipped around to stare at him and Sirius, who took the opportunity to speak up. "Look, James, instead of trying to murder Snivellus as he undoubtedly deserves, we need to figure out what happened to Peter. I didn't see any signs of a struggle when I went to his house, but..."

"But nothing." James growled. "If Voldemort himself came here, then Peter must have sold us out." He suddenly paused, and paled. "What happened to Voldemort?"

"All I saw was a pile of charred robes on the floor."

"Hold yer hippogriffs-" Hagrid cut in, looking astonished as he set both James and Snape back on their feet. "Are- are ye sayin' that the blighter's _dead?"_

In the following silence, Harry whimpered again. That was when James' gaze finally landed on the red, zigzag line that adorned his son's forehead. He slowly stepped forward, and reached out to brush his finger over it. Harry's face scrunched up with pain and James instantly snatched his hand away.

"...I need to find Peter," he finally said. "Sirius, take Harry back to your flat and keep him safe for me. Hagrid, contact Dumbledore and get him here, see if he can figure out what the hell happened with Voldemort. And _you,"_ Snape flinched slightly from James' snarl. "Get the fuck out of my house."

Snape got out.

Hagrid shuffled off to do some illegal magic with his umbrella wand, and Sirius reluctantly grabbed up Harry's overnight bag from where it sat by the stairs before heading out to get on his motorbike. He watched with concern as James left ahead of him, decked out in full Auror gear and looking grimmer than Sirius had ever seen him.

Harry nudged his way into the folds of his godfather's jacket. Prompted, Sirius pulled out a proper blanket and wrapped it around the baby.

"C'mon, Prongslet," he murmured, starting up his bike's engine. "Let's get you out of the cold."

 _A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE_

 _This story is part of my HP Round Table Project. Every Thursday, I'm updating a different onf of seven Harry Potter AUs, so that over the course of seven weeks they all get a new chapter (since I have a history of losing inspiration and letting stuff sit stagnant for months at a time). After the first seven week period, I start over, but the order in which these stories are updated changes depending on what was the most popular during the previous chunk of time._

 _So, if you really like this or one of the others, be sure to let me know!_

 _-Triscribe_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, after taking care of Harry's breakfast, Sirius sent a letter to Remus straightaway with an explanation of what happened. He also owled the Longbottoms, Minerva, Moody and Dumbledore, alternatively providing information, asking for it, and requesting help with Harry as he'd never cared for the baby by himself for more than a few hours at a time.

By mid-morning, he'd gotten three responses from the latter people, none of them any more knowledgeable than he about what had happened with Voldemort and what James' status was. Before noon, Alice arrived through the Floo with a care-package of infant essentials. She and Sirius had a good cry together on the sofa over Lily's death, before the woman had to leave again. Just before departing, though, she promised to be on hand should her help be required for anything at all.

Sirius and Harry took a nap together that afternoon, sleeping off their lunch and the excitement of the night before.

It was early evening when Remus arrived.

Again, the sofa played host to tears and expunged grief, as the two men mourned the loss of not just Lily, but Peter too. It was clear by this point that either the rat Animagi had betrayed them, or else perished after being forced to give up the secret of the Potters' location.

Eventually, Remus hauled himself to his feet and went to start dinner, while Sirius once again attempted to get in touch with James through their mirrors. When he admitted defeat once more, the worried man went to join his friend and their charge in the kitchen. Afterward, Remus was badgered into spending the night, and so took the sofa while Sirius had Harry with him in the bedroom.

It was about three in the morning when James staggered in through the front door.

Remus instantly awoke, jumping to his feet in order to help the exhausted man pull off his coat and boots, calling for Sirius as he did so. Between the two of them, a few bites of food were forced down James' throat, and then he was settled on the sofa between them.

"What happened, Prongs?" Sirius asked softly.

"I killed him," the other man replied numbly. "I chased the bastard to a muggle town, and killed him. He tried to convince me that it wasn't his fault, and I almost believed him, but then he went for his wand and I fired on instinct."

His friends exchanged carefully blank looks. "...Did you call in anyone else?"

"Moody showed up. With others. He told me to come here, take some time off."

"Well, you know you're always welcome, mate. Harry's in the bedroom, do you want me to-?"

"No. Just, no. Let him sleep." James closed his own eyes and sagged. Sirius stood and helped tip him over, so that the man was laying down across the cushions. Remus grabbed her legs and got them up as well, before sending a helpless look towards his other friend.

"You take the bed, Moony, keep Harry company. I'll stay out here, make sure he's alright." Wordlessly, Remus did as Sirius said. For the next few hours, all was quiet in the flat.

About the time that dawn broke, so too did James' sleep of the dead. He began to mumble and twitch, attracting the attention of Sirius from where he sat by the window.

"James, Prongs, wake up, come on now-" With a strangled gasp, the other man awoke, a look of panic in his eyes.

"Lily-!"

"She's gone, Prongs." Sirius said sadly. His best friend blinked at him for a few moments, comprehension and devastation slowly dawning. With a deep, shuddering breath, James forced himself upright and looked around.

"Moony...?"

"In the bedroom. With Harry. Who I think it might do you some good to hold, Prongs."

"N- no. Not now."

"If you're sure..." Sirius trailed off, concerned. He'd spent most of the day before with Harry within arm's reach, so as to be able to constantly reassure himself that the boy was still alive. James had just lost the love of his life, and while grief was clearly hitting the man harder than anyone else, he could use the benefit of bonding with his child.

But, as long as he kept refusing, Sirius wasn't going to simply foist Harry onto his dad.

Remus shuffled out of the bedroom about the time breakfast was ready, a burbling infant tucked against his bare chest. Harry's interest in tapping at the man's scars continued only until he caught sight of James, and then the baby reached out for his father with a happy squeal.

James flinched.

"I'm going out." He suddenly announced, standing and heading towards the front door, grabbing his coat and boots along the way.

"Wha- Prongs! Wait!" Sirius' protest from the kitchen went unheeded, though, as his friend continued on out of the flat. "Hang it all- Moony, can you-?"

"I've got the food, Padfoot. Go get him." Remus set Harry in his playpen as Sirius tore out after James, and then went to save the toast and eggs from burning. Not much later, the other man returned grumbling dire things under his breath.

"Idiot didn't stop until he got to the Apparition point, never even slowed down to talk to me," Sirius glowered while stabbing his scrambled eggs. Remus sighed, packing away the extra eggs, before sitting down with his own plate. In the high chair between them, Harry picked at his baby food forlornly, almost as if he were just as unhappy with his father's rapid departure as the two men.

Which, Remus mused to himself, the boy probably was. One of his parents was gone forever, and the last thing Harry needed was the other one walking out of his life as well.

"He's going to need more clothes," Sirius spoke up after a while. "Harry, that is. And new toys, too. Should we get those today?"

Recognizing that his friend was desperate for a distraction, Remus smiled at him. "Alright, Padfoot. Why don't you go out with Harry, and I'll wait here in case James comes back."

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Apparently, the Wizarding World was in a state of joyous chaos.

Because of that, Sirius took his godson shopping in muggle London, hoping to avoid some of the revelry. While he could understand the sentiment, the overwhelming relief that Voldemort was finally dead and gone, it was tempered by the grief of all the losses he'd suffered in the past couple days.

"And not a single person's thinking about your mum's death, I wager," he muttered to Harry at one point. The baby simply burbled, tugging at his godfather's long hair.

Using the supply of muggle money that Lily had always insisted her friends keep on hand, Sirius first got some new little shirts, shorts and onesies to dress Harry in, along with more diapers, some socks and a couple jackets. Then they went to the infinitely more interesting toy store, where Sirius _might_ have gone just a _little_ overboard.

Well. Harry was his godson, after all, and if he wanted to buy the boy three large bags worth of stuffed animals, train set parts, finger paint and children's books, then by Merlin he was going to!

Sirius was still considering how best to explain all his purchases when he got back home, and found Remus hanging up a familiar looking coat. "James came back?"

"He crashed on your bed just a few minutes ago," Remus muttered, with a worried expression. "I'd say he was out drinking, except I didn't smell any alcohol on him."

"Probably just went out and walked all day thinking, the poor sod." Sirius sighed, handing Harry over before going to set down the different bags. "I just hope he stayed away from any magical communities - seeing everyone else celebrating wouldn't have done his mind any good."

"No, I daresay it wouldn't have."

James didn't emerge until the others had already eaten and set Harry down for the night. He didn't try to engage his friends in conversation, just ate some of the cold food, and then sat in the chair by the window.

"Alice firecalled today," Remus spoke up at one point, trying to draw the despondent man out of his shell. "She and Frank wanted to know if there was anything they could do..."

"Nothing."

"I took Harry out for a bit of shopping." Sirius offered. "Got him some new clothes and things to play with. Probably should get you some clean clothes too, Prongs, wearing the same outfit for a week isn't-"

"It's fine."

Taking a deep breath, Sirius plowed on against his better judgement. "No, Prongs, it isn't fine. You're hurting, and we want to help, but you need to open up in order to _let_ us."

"...Hurting?" James said darkly. "You think, I'm only _hurting?"_

Remus and Sirius both stood as their friend got to his feet, practically growling.

"Lily is _gone,_ because we trusted the wrong man. My _wife_ is _dead,_ our _home_ is _destroyed,_ my _son_ has that- that _mark_ on his head from whatever the Dark bastard did, and you only think I'm _HURTING?!"_ The man roared. In the blink of an eye, though, his shoulders slumped, and James dropped back into the chair. "I'm broken, mates, and there's nothing out there that can fix me."

"Prongs..."

"Don't, Padfoot. Just don't." The utter weariness in his best friend's voice finally had Sirius subsiding. He helped Remus finish cleaning up in the kitchen, and then the pair quietly discussed how they'd set up sleeping arrangements.

In the end, Sirius went into the bedroom with Harry, while Remus sat on the sofa, determined not to go to sleep until James did. Considering that he woke around dawn, laying down with a blanket spread across him and no sign of the dark haired man, he was less than successful in that endeavor.

The following week passed in much this same manner.

James would disappear sometime in the early morning, before anyone else was awake. Sirius and Remus would have breakfast, and decide who was doing what with Harry for the day while the other waited at the flat. By late afternoon, James would return, crash in the bedroom, and not emerge again for several hours. In this manner, he was able to completely avoid his son, to his friends' mutual concern.

The Longbottoms stopped by at one point, bringing Neville with them to play with Harry and announcing that they'd be returning home that evening. Remus wished them well, while Sirius pointed out that there were still Death Eaters around with a warning to be careful.

-OSS-

The wards screamed an alarm just seconds before the front door was blasted inwards.

Dropping the dinner plates they'd been eating off of, both Sirius and Remus instantly had their wands out, calling up shields to block the spells shooting towards them. Four figures in black robes and white masks charged into the room, working together as they fought the flat's inhabitants.

Remus had to duck into the kitchen to avoid a stunner, while Sirius used the sofa to jump up and over a dark curse.

"Where's your hospitality, cousin?" Recognizing Bellatrix's voice, Sirius growled. "We just want to ask you some questions!"

Two of the Death Eaters continued to blast away at him, while the other pair attempted to make their way to the kitchen doorway. Fortunately, Remus was able to return fire and keep them at bay, determined not to let anyone near bedroom where Harry was. Things looked to be at a bit of a stalemate, but then help arrived.

"BOMBARDA!" James roared from the broken front door, sending one of the Death Eaters up and over to the other side of the apartment with a scream. There was a sickening _crack_ as the man landed, letting everyone know he was most certainly dead. Another one shouted with fury, turning to trade spellfire with James. That just left him exposed to a cutting spell from Sirius, who was quick to take advantage of the moment.

Finding themselves suddenly outnumbered, Bellatrix and her remaining comrade attempted to escape, only for James to bypass the wandwork and physically attack them. The male Death Eater wasn't expecting it, and went down with a single punch that broke his mask and jaw alike. Bellatrix saw James coming, and in a moment of panic pulled out one of her precious daggers, managing to score a shallow cut along his forearm before being disarmed. Then his hands were around her neck.

"Prongs..." Sirius panted nervously, watching as his not-so-beloved cousin started to gasp and asphyxiate. "James, stop! She's beaten!"

Remus stepped out of the kitchen and quickly shot a stunner at Bellatrix. Even with his opponent clearly incapacitated, though, James kept squeezing, a murderous expression on his face.

Reluctantly, Remus stunned him too.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"You should have let me kill her."

"You aren't a murderer, James."

"Tell that to the Death Eaters-"

"No, James. Those were deaths on the field of battle. Suffocating an enemy who was already beaten isn't how we - how _you_ \- do things."

It was the morning after the attack, and the man was unwilling to look at either of his two friends. Aurors had been summoned the night before, both to take Bellatrix and Bartemius Crouch Junior into custody, as well as remove the bodies of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. As James was still unconscious at the time, Sirius and Remus were easily able to claim he'd gone down in the fight, and thus avoid the man being hauled off for interrogation and mental evaluation. Moody had given them a look as though he knew exactly what the pair were covering up, but didn't press the issue.

"You've made it clear you're in serious pain right now," Remus went on. "But killing Bellatrix when she was in no position to fight back wouldn't have made anything better, Prongs. In point of fact, the one thing both Sirius and I think _would_ help, is the very same person you've been avoiding all week."

James flinched.

"Harry needs you mate," Sirius said softly. "And you need him."

"He doesn't need me. I'm the reason his mother's dead."

Both men reared back at their friend's matter-of-fact statement. " _What?!"_ They both cried.

"If I'd done a better job of fighting the Dark bastard off, given Lily time to escape-"

"That's rubbish, James, and you know it! You're damn lucky to have survived his attack at all!"

"Still-"

"Still nothing. Do we all wish Lily had lived? Yes. Are we glad that, even with her gone, you and Harry are still breathing? _Hell yes._ So stop wallowing in grief and self-loathing, buck up your Gryffindor courage, _and go let your son know he's still got a parent left."_ Sirius was snarling by the end of his speech. After nearly ten days of seeing the sadness and confusion in little Harry's eyes every time his father disappeared, the man was at the end of his patience. That boy _needed_ James.

As for the elder Potter, however, he simply slumped lower on the sofa.

A knock at the door distracted Sirius from launching into another rant. Thinking it might be Moody or another Auror, he went and yanked it open.

"Good evening, Sirius, my boy," Dumbledore said. "May I come in and speak with James?"

"Ah, yeah, he's right over here." More than a little startled, Sirius allowed the older wizard to enter, and watched as Dumbledore walked past the equally surprised Remus. When the other Marauder sent him a confused look, all Sirius could do was shrug.

"James, I am so sorry for your loss." The Headmaster murmured as he took a seat across from the distraught man, who nodded stiffly in return. "I know this is a hard time for you, but after the attack last night, I needed to come speak with you on a matter of grave importance."

"What is it, Professor?"

"Harry's safety."

-OSS-

After the Headmaster left, James also decided to go for a walk to think things over, leaving both his best mates sitting shell-shocked in the flat.

Dumbledore wanted to take Harry away.

And the boy's father was actually considering agreeing.

"They can't do this," Sirius eventually mumbled, lifting his head to stare beseechingly at Remus. "We can't let them. We _can't,_ Moony."

"I'm not entirely sure we can stop them, Padfoot," the other wizard replied, still reeling from the shock of it himself.

"Fuck that! We- we could- well..."

"Excellent idea."

"Oh shut up." Rapidly growing more upset, Sirius got to his feet and started pacing. "I've got it - if James comes back and says he's agreed to let the old man spirit Harry off, we'll stun him again and head for the hills, raise Harry ourselves, and keep his dad locked up in a cellar or something until he comes to his senses!"

Remus arched an eyebrow.

"Alright, I know it's not the best of ideas, but honestly? Sending Harry off to be raised by people who are complete strangers to him, just so that he can hide behind Blood Wards and not be inundated with this newfound fame? That's the barmiest thing I've ever heard of! Even _before_ taking into account that this is _Petunia_ Dumbledore's talking about!"

"I'm not arguing about that," his friend sighed. "But if we're going to oppose them, we have to go about it in an intelligent manner."

"Whoever said running for the hills isn't intelligent?"

They spent the rest of that day looking after Harry and brainstorming more ideas on how to either hide the boy themselves, or else convince his father not to agree with the Headmaster's suggested course of action. By the time evening rolled around, the best thought they'd had was to inform Alice and Minerva about the situation, before locking James in a room with the two women and no wand.

It didn't quite come to that, though - when the man himself arrived back at the flat, he only mumbled to the others that he hadn't yet come to a decision. James then spent a good five minutes staring at his son where the infant slept upon the sofa cushions, before he finally turned away and entered the bedroom.

Seeing that, Remus sighed and decided the time had come for him to return to his own home for the night. He promised to return the next morning with Alice, while Sirius would have the task of contacting Minerva. The pair said their goodnights, Remus gave the sleeping Harry a kiss on the forehead, and then he left through the Floo.

Not long after, Sirius settled onto the sofa as well alongside his godson, wondering just what the hell they were going to do if James truly did give up the boy.

 _A/N: Gonna be six updates today, seven if I can whip out a new Wild chapter by tonight. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It took James several hours to fall asleep, as he'd continued to stew over Dumbledore's proposed plan. While he knew Lily and her sister hadn't been on the best of terms, he didn't think the muggle woman would turn her nephew away, especially if she was fed the lie that both the boy's parents were dead.

And honestly, James didn't think it would be that big a falsehood. He'd felt hollow ever since seeing Lily's body on the floor of that nursery, like his soul had been ripped away.

Eventually, the man drifted off, hoping that sleep would be able to help him make a choice.

It did - just not in the way James had been expecting.

 _Darkness. Not pure black though, no, there was just enough of a muted glow to see by. He blinked up at the oddly shaped ceiling, realizing belatedly that he was looking at the underside of a staircase. Was he in a broom cupboard, then? It certainly seemed to be that way._

 _Wondering why he was in such a place, James sat up and looked around. He was sitting on a thin, tattered pallet and cot, a truly sorry-looking excuse for a bed. Also within the dark, he could make out various cleaning supplies, and a shelf of rather beleaguered toys that had seen better days. There was also, James noted with a slight shiver, a collection of childishly scrawled drawings tacked up on the different walls._

 _One, pinned to the door, read Harry's Room._

 _Sounds reached his ears, interrupting James as he pondered just what that particular sign was doing there. Footsteps quickly approached, and suddenly the door was wrenched open._

" _Stay here and be quiet, freak," a woman said viciously. James flinched as he recognized Petunia's scratchy voice. "You're not to come out until our guests have left." With that, a small form was shoved into the cupboard, moments before the door slammed shut again. Ignoring the sound of a lock being slid home, James stared at the child before him._

 _It was a boy, with black, messy hair, too-big clothes, and a pair of taped-up glasses perched right at the end of his nose. As the kid pushed them back into place, James gasped._

 _He was looking at Lily's eyes._ Harry's _eyes_

 _Words tried to pour forth, only for it to become clear that James was unable to speak. He tried reaching out to the little boy, who couldn't have been older than five or six, but there were no hands for James to work with - he was simply a hovering presence, with no body to operate._

 _Harry didn't notice him. The kid pulled off a backpack, setting it down and meticulously taking out its contents. Some was school related, but he ignored those for the meantime. Instead, Harry carefully picked up another drawing, along with pushpin, and used the one to place the other up on the back wall._

" _Miss you," the boy whispered, so softly James almost didn't hear him. They both stared at the new picture, of three stick figures happily waving from the page: a mother, a father, and a child._

 _Everything blurred._

 _James would have jumped in surprise if he could. Instead of a cupboard, he found himself in a spacious backyard, watching with horror as a large, fat boy kicked mercilessly at the far smaller Harry._ Stop it! _he tried to cry, moving forward._ Leave my son alone!

 _Neither of the children heard him, though, and it was a good while before the bigger boy left off his game, returning inside. Harry took a moment to sniff and wipe at his eyes, before shuffling upright and heading for the flower beds. He worked ceaselessly at weeding them, until the backdoor of the house slammed open and a massive man charged outside._

" _Boy!" The newcomer growled, heading right for Harry. "You were supposed to have your chores finished by the time I got home!"_

" _M'sorry, Uncle-" the mumbled apology turned into a pained whimper as Harry was roughly grabbed and hauled inside._

" _There'll be no supper for you tonight, freak!"_

 _Before James had a chance to shout his fury, the scene blurred again._

 _Petunia was sitting at a breakfast table, along with her rotund husband and son, as an older Harry walked in with a handful of mail. Most were handed off, but James spotted one kept tight in his son's hand, a envelope with a familiar crest on the seal._

 _Unfortunately, the other boy spotted it as well, and Harry's Hogwarts letter was ripped away._

 _Several other scenes flash by, almost too fast for James to follow. Moments of confrontations, whispered conversations between his son and others his age, glare-offs with assorted professors, and scariest of all, battles between Harry and everything from a dragon to dementors to a pale man with red eyes James would recognize anywhere._

No, _he mouthed, as Voldemort dueled Harry in a graveyard and the Ministry of Magic._ No! _He tried to shout when a Killing Curse hit his boy in a dark forest. The final, oldest version of Harry didn't stay down for long, though. He stood back up, turning to face James as the world faded to black around them._

"You did this," _the boy, a young man almost, snarled at him._ "You weren't there when I needed you. You WORTHLESS _,_ SELF-centered, BASTARD _._ "

 _Harry raised his wand, and James couldn't bring himself to move as a bright green flash erupted towards him-_

-OSS-

Sirius nearly fell off the sofa in shock when the bedroom door smashed open.

"Where is he?" James panted, wild-eyed. "Where's Harry?"

"Right here-" Sirius didn't even get to finish saying _where you left him_ before his best friend was vaulting over the back of the couch and scooping up the sleeping infant. Utterly bewildered, Sirius just stood by as James hugged his son close, burying his nose in the soft black locks and whispering apologies over and over again. At some point, Harry's little eyes blinked open, and he looked over at his godfather with the baby equivalent of befuddled surprise. Sirius was only able to give the wee lad a shrug.

"I need to tell him." James suddenly announced, pulling his head back up.

"Tell who what?"

"Dumbledore. I need to tell him I've decided, first thing in the- no, not morning, right bloody now!"

"Er, James, what _have_ you decided, exactly?" Sirius questioned, also wondering whether he needed to grab Harry and run for the hills - just in case.

James didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out his wand, and bellowed, " _Expecto Patronum!"_ Prongs burst forth in all his silver antlered glory, coming to an imperious halt in front of his caster. "Tell Dumbledore this - bugger off, you sorry old blighter, and don't pester me or my son again."

"Brilliant, James!" Sirius cried out with a grin as the stag patronus took off. "About time you came to your senses - what the devil made you change your mind?"

"A nightmare," the widower said softly as he looked back down at his son. "A horrible reality that isn't going to have a chance to come true. Isn't that right, my young buck?"

Harry giggled. He grabbed his daddy's nose, content that everything was good in the world.

 _A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!_

 _(Only an epilogue left for this story, but I promise it's a good one!)_

 _-Tri_


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

James was humming under his breath as he conjured up holly and tinsel to decorate the mantel. The Christmas holidays had always been his favorite part of the year, in no small part because of the festive decorations. And the presents weren't bad, either.

"Hey, Dad? What time are the others supposed to get here?" A near identical figure popped his head out the door from the kitchen.

"Not long now," James replied distractedly, before his attention was suddenly caught. "Harry... Are you snitching from the dessert tray again?"

"No." The fifteen year old quickly stepped fully into the living room, trying to hide his guilty expression.

"Uh-huh. I think I'm going to need you to stay out here where I can keep an eye on you, or else there'll be no biscuits left by the time the rest arrive." He said it in a severe tone, but the elder Potter's eyes were clearly laughing at his son's behavior - near identical to his own in years past, after all. Harry just rolled his eyes, moving closer and studying what all his dad had been up to.

"Looks good," he said. "But I think you've gone a bit overboard with the mistletoe."

There were sprigs of the stuff hanging in every single doorway, several of the picture windows _and_ over the spot where people would emerge from the Floo.

"Have I not brought you in on the plan to finally set Remus up with a girl?"

"I believe this plan has been in works since you lot were my age." Harry responded dryly.

"Yeah, well, we've got a decent shot at it this year what with the flirting Nymphadora's been supplying towards the old wolf..."

"I think the sight of all this, though, might just send Moony running for the hills. Don't you?"

"...I suppose you may have a point there." The pair's chuckles, however, were cut off rather suddenly when James noticed Harry rubbing at the back of his hand again. "Scars still bothering you?"

"Hm? Oh- it's fine, Dad." And once again, the elder Potter had to sigh at his son's determination to be strong and not cause him any more bother.

"Harry... One of these days, I'm going to break you of that habit of automatically announcing 'I'm fine' when someone asks how you are. Still not entirely sure where you picked the ruddy habit up in the first place, honestly..." He added ruefully.

"It really is alright, Dad, just a bit of ghost pain, truly." Only slightly mollified, James nudged his stubborn teen offspring in the direction of the couch, swiftly taking a seat beside him as well.

"Did I or the others ever tell you about the time your mum walloped Darcy Mendeley in sixth year?" He suddenly asked.

"I don't think so... None of you tell all that many stories about Mum, and this sounds like one I'd remember." Harry replied carefully, with a watchful eye on his dad. "What happened?"

"Well, it turned out that Darcy, this Ravenclaw who had double Charms with us, didn't especially like the fact that Remus kept doing better than her on all the written work. So every day for about a month, she'd temporarily hex Moony's quill in that class to give whatever skin it came in contact with a bit of a nasty itch. Well, it kept getting harder and harder for poor Remus to concentrate and get his work done."

"Constant itching probably meant his hand was scratched raw, wasn't it?"

"That it was - see, you can be perceptive after all, you little dunderhead. And the rest of us knew that it had to be the work of a bully, but Moony wouldn't let us do anything about it. Then came the day when you're mum was a bit late to class, and spotted ole' Darcy firing the hex under her desk. Lily didn't say or do anything, not in front of Professor Flitwick." James grinned at that point. "But after class let out? She called for Darcy before the other girl could disappear down the hall, and right in front of the lot of us said 'This is for Remus.' And then socked her right in the nose."

Harry chuckled, and James ruffled his hair.

"My _point,_ young Buck, is that Umbridge was even worse to you than Darcy was to Moony, and I dearly wish I'd been able to do more than go after her legally for that ruddy Blood Quill. No, don't roll your eyes at me - you don't always need to be strong for me, Harry. The fact that you think you need to says that I've done a bad job as a parent."

"You haven't!" The teen protested. "You've done a brilliant job, a-and I just want you to see it. That you've taught me how to take care of myself."

"Oh, Harry." James pulled the unprotesting boy into his arms. "It's going to be a few years yet before I expect you to fully handle that particular task. I can honestly say, after all, that taking care of you is more work than for the average wizarding child, and there's no reason in the world for you to start doing it just now while I'm still alive and kicking and determined to get old Voldesnort where it hurts the most."

"Exactly, you're busy trying to knock sense into Fudge and the Wizengamot - I should have been able to handle Umbridge on my own-!"

"Wrong. Actually, dealing with her might have been a nice break from all the politics." The man mused, resting his chin atop Harry's head. "Much nicer than getting a firecall from Minerva saying that you were in the infirmary after being forced to repeatedly use a Blood Quill in detention."

Harry at least had the sense to look a bit sheepish. "But, after a troll and Voldy and the diary and a basilisk and Wormtail and the Tournament-"

"All of which you got in trouble over, attempting to manage by yourself or with only your friends as backup." James added sternly.

"-well, still, what's one monster of a teacher compared to all that? Especially since I've learned how to survive Snape all these years."

"Argh, and that's something else entirely for me to feel guilty over." The teen huffed at his father's groan. "Alright. You're the bloody Boy-Who-Lived-to-Give-his-Dad-More-Grey-Hairs. Doesn't mean I can't help get rid of a witch using an illegal Dark artefact on students. So next time, _tell me."_ To emphasize his point, James grabbed his son in a headlock and proceeded to rub his knuckles into the teen's scalp.

"Ack, Dad! Off! Quit it!" Laughing even as he struggled, Harry managed to drive the both of them to the floor, narrowly avoiding the coffee table. They were still wrestling when the fireplace flared green, and a dark haired man with a young girl riding piggyback stepped through.

"A-hem! Attention, attention, you measly peasants down in the dirt you, the Blacks have arrived!" Sirius announced with a mock glare. "And we certainly deserve a better welcome than this!"

"Hi Uncle James! Hi Harry!" The ten year old piped up from her odd position. "I'm taller than you!"

"So you are, Addie." Harry grinned, scrambling to his feet. "Taller than your dad, too!"

"Where's Laurel?" James also put in, standing himself.

"Had to work late - said she'll pick up a quick bite to eat, and meet us here around eight." Sirius replied, swinging his daughter around so that she could be handed over to her favorite cousin. "Are we the first ones here?"

"Indeed you are, Padfoot - Moony and the rest aren't set to arrive for a while yet."

"When's Uncle Remus gonna kiss Dora?" Addie suddenly asked, still in the process of settling herself on Harry's back. "I want to be a big cousin!"

"Is that how it works?" James asked with no little amount of amusement.

"Uh-huh!"

"Maybe you ought to be asking your parents for a little brother or sister instead, Adhara." Harry suggested with a wicked smirk at his godfather, who was quick to nip _that_ idea in the bud.

"Uh, no. Laurel's made it pretty clear that if there's to be another Black child, _I'll_ be the one to get pregnant."

Addie promptly stuck her tongue out. "And _that's_ why Moony an' Dora need to kiss so that I can tease a baby cousin the way Harry teases me."

"I see. Well, hopefully it won't be much longer. Now why don't you two go play out back while we wait for the others to arrive?"

"Yeah! Buck, let's go play!" Rolling his eyes with a good natured groan, Harry set off for the back door. As soon as he left the house, the teen transformed, and Addie was suddenly sitting astride a young stag who proceeded to trot about. She giggled, immensely pleased.

Back indoors, Sirius sighed at the sight. "Makes me wish she was still small enough _I_ was the one giving rides. Merlin, Prongs, do you realize my kid's going to be at Hogwarts next year?"

"Better enjoy having her around while you can, then." James suggested, his own gaze growing distant. "Seems like just yesterday I could still carry Harry slung over my shoulder."

"We need a specialized stasis charm to keep kids from getting older."

"Wouldn't work, Padfoot - eventually the responsible types would whack us over the head for not letting the pipsqueaks grow up and learn to fend for themselves."

"Still..."

"I know," James clapped a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "It would be nice to always protect them." He thought of the terrible dangers Harry had faced since starting school, the manipulations Dumbledore seemed intent on continuing and the murderous attentions of Voldemort. He thought of Lily, and how proud she'd be of their son and the responsible young man he was gradually turning into. "But eventually... We have to take a step back, and let them protect themselves."

Sirius hummed an agreement, but his eyes never left the pair outside. "...Plus, I guess there's the whole 'mums wanting grandchildren to spoil' thing..."

"That too."

 _A/N: Okay, I admit, the winter holidays and school starting up threw me WAY off track, but now we're back! And with this member of my Harry Potter Round Table Project complete, I promise to try and concentrate on adding more to the others as soon as possible. Hope you all enjoyed this little tale and join us again for further installment of my other AUs,_

 _-Triscribe_


End file.
